Broken Faith
by Mlle Nightingale
Summary: It has been exactly three moons since Firestar's death, and faith and Clan life has been nearly forgotten. Now StarClan has chosen four cats from each Clan for a mission to rebuild the Clans and restore age-old beliefs... will they succeed?
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Icysong padded around the medicine cat den. It was eerily quiet in ThunderClan camp - too quiet. She looked at her apprentice, Ashpaw, who had just ran in with a frightened look on his face.

"What's wrong?" she meowed worriedly as Ashpaw began to sort out the herbs that he'd brought. Suddenly his head whipped around. His face seemed grey and bloodless. He blinked, as if mute.

"F-f-f-f-ires-s-star..." He looked too upset too continue. The young medicine cat knew that something was desperately wrong if the normally talkative and slightly obnoxious eight-moon-old was lost for words. She grabbed a mouthful of herbs and dashed off to the camp clearing, where all the cats, including the kits and elders, seemed to be gathered. They seemed to be forming a stiff and unbelieving circle around something... something that sent the smell of almost-to-come death in the air. When Icysong approached the other cats, they quietly let her through. Now she knew for certain that something was wrong - something wrong enough to send the entire camp into total silence. She quickened her pace to the 'object' in the middle of the circle, which looked like a stiff red flame...

And then she recognized the scent and let out a long, anguished wail.

"Firestar!" she yowled in absolute horror, and sprinted the rest of the way. By the simple smell in the air, she could tell it was too late to save him... Firestar, on his last life. Sobbing, she pressed her face into his pelt. He meant something more to her... something like a father.

The thing was, she wasn't a ThunderClan-born cat, but ShadowClan. When she was a mere kit, she'd been discovered, with no memory whatsoever of what had happened, on the ThunderClan-ShadowClan border. The patrol that had found her brought her back to ShadowClan, but Blackstar insisted that she was no ShadowClan cat, despite her strong ShadowClan scent. The majority of the patrol had then decided to just give her to the horseplace cats, but Firestar had been on the patrol, and forbid it. Ever since, he'd been like her father... a father that she'd never known.

And now he was dying, lying there on the ground. Tears rained from her eyes like the from the worst spring storm as Firestar breathed his last few breaths. He weakly turned his head towards her, and croaked out four last words: "Silverheart. Deputy. Not. Cloudblaze." Then he sighed and died.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"But... but the warrior code! StarClan!"

It had been only three moons since Firestar had died, but camp law had already become unrecognizable from before. No one had believed Icysong when she had told ThunderClan that before he'd died, Firestar had made Silverheart leader and not Cloudblaze. Instead, she'd been accused of plotting against ThunderClan, and Silverheart had been exiled.

Now Cloudblaze had become Cloudstar, leader of ThunderClan. At first, he'd been exactly the type of leader Firestar had been, but then, the changes had began.

Well, they hadn't actually been changes, but rumours, cleverly hidden and spread, without other cats realizing their true intents, by Cloudstar's supporters. Things like 'StarClan is helpless' and 'the warrior code is mouse-dung,' along with reasons that seemed simple but shockingly true began to tear apart the Clan. This was the ambitious leader's intent: to create a Clan so separated from StarClan and the warrior code that he would be the only one who had control over the cats. So far, though, Cloudstar hadn't actually changed Clan law. But he was just about to.

"Warrior code? Nonsense! StarClan? Just an old queen's tale!" the white-furred leader hissed at Icysong. He'd been trying to get all the cats of the Clan to agree in making a law that forbid any kinds of communication with StarClan (by insisting that it was just an old queen's tale made to give medicine cats more power), and to get rid of the warrior code (because it 'made the Clan weak'), but the young medicine cat disagreed.

"So you're suggesting that we turn on the ancient traditions and just go our own ways? _Never! _I'd rather _die _than see that happen!"

Cloudstar grinned slightly, with a malicious thought hiding behind it. "Then you'll get your wish. Any last wishes?"

Icysong gasped slightly, but tried to close her eyes and ignore Cloudstar. She was silently praying to StarClan: 'Please, protect me! Protect me and I swear to always believe in you!' She felt a jolt of pain in her body, even though Cloudstar hadn't moved, and was slightly hopeful. Then she realized it was just because she'd stepped on a sharp rock, hard. She closed her eyes and heaved a sigh. "No."

The slightly insane cat grinned. "Alright then, meddy." He darted up behind her, and she expected to die. But what happened next was unbelievable.

Chapter 2

"Where am I?" Icysong moaned. She looked at her surroundings. It looked like something she'd seen in her dreams with StarClan. Then sudden realization hit her.

"Am I dead?!"

No cats replied, however. In the distance, she saw what seemed like all of StarClan's cats gathered around a pool of water - from what she knew, the Starpool. She crept up close and listened.

"How can they lose their beliefs just like that?" one of the cats meowed angrily.

"I can't let the Clans make the same mistake I did," Mothwing murmured to herself.

"Can anyone see a chance of the Clans regaining faith?" Bluestar asked the others.

Many of the StarClan cats had ideas, but none of them seemed to be able to work. In the end, no one said anything.

After a long moment of silence, Feathertail spoke up.

"We all know it seems like all the cats have lost faith, but there has to be at least _one _cat from each Clan who believes in the old ways. There must be more than that, but because of how most of the cats scorn and tease the believers, they won't speak up for their beliefs. But there _has _to be a cat from each Clan who is not afraid to stick up for their beliefs, and we have to find those cats. They can spread the message and convince the others to regain the traditions."

"Well said." Riverstar smiled at Feathertail.

"Well now, we have to find these four cats. Anyone see a true leader in the Clans?" Windstar asked.

Many of the cats stepped up to the Starpool to look. They spoke of leaders, former medicine cats, warriors, apprentices, even kits and elders. Finally they chose the four.

"Icysong of ThunderClan is not a medicine cat anymore, but she still believes strongly in us. She is clearly the right choice." Whitestorm told the others.

"Dapplestar of WindClan may be young, but she has already proved to be one of the best leaders in Clan history, and she too has not abandoned the old ways. She should definitely be one of the four." Tallstar decided.

"ShadowClan also has a very promising member. Honeyblaze is a bit rebellious, but will always do the right thing in the end, no matter what. I choose her to represent her Clan." Shadowstar stated confidently.

"But that leaves RiverClan without a cat to stand up for StarClan." Cloudtail pointed out.

Silverstream looked up from the Starpool.

"I've thought about this for a long time already. Hawkeyes of RiverClan may not be as..." she paused, to think of the right word, "erm... mature as the others, but I believe he has what it takes."

Some of the others didn't agree about this, but the arguments were soon settled.

"Then it is agreed. The four will be Icysong of ThunderClan, Dapplestar of WindClan, Hawkeyes of RiverClan, and Honeyblaze of ShadowClan." Firestar announced.

Just then, a moaning she-cat appeared amongst the many cats.

"Where am I?" she asked weakly.

The confidence that had been in the air just seconds ago disappeared at the sight of another warrior dying young and appearing among the others of StarClan.

"Not another one. They're going too fast. I just hope that we made the right choice and that these four can rebuild the Clans before there aren't any Clans to rebuild anymore."

Icysong gasped. The cats were talking about her, and three other cats. Suddenly, Firestar turned around and looked at her.

"Welcome, Icysong. I thank you for carrying out my message, even if my Clan did not believe you. You are not dead, but Cloudstar thinks you are. We had to keep you here so that your living body could heal and you would be safe for the time. And four moons have passed since you were last in the living world. Four moons... of catastrophe and disaster." His voice was heavy with sorrow.

A cat she thought was Bluestar looked at her. "Firestar has told me much about you, and I have seen for myself. You truly are an amazing cat."

Icysong blushed slightly with the praise. "Thanks," she mewed quietly, suddenly feeling like a kit in front of the two great ThunderClan leaders.

Then Bluestar's face turned dark. "Yes, four moons of catastrophe and disaster. Cloudblaze - we here refuse to call him Cloudstar, as he is no StarClan-chosen leader - has gained all the agreement of the Clan, despite many protests. And his ideas have spread to the other Clans... when you return to the living, you will see. The Clans are in total chaos."

Silverstream nodded. "There are few, too few, who still believe in us and the warrior code. We have chosen four cats to reteach our ways. You are one of the four.

"There is also Dapplestar of WindClan, Hawkeyes of RiverClan, and Honeyblaze of ShadowClan. We have sent them a sign, and believe they will understand. Meet them on the Gathering island the next full moon."

The cats began to fade into the distance. 'I'm going back to ThunderClan...' she murmured, as she began to lose consciousness and her vision began to blur...

Chapter 3

Icysong's entire body felt sore as she began to regain consciousness. As her vision began to clear, she looked at her surroundings. She had a huge headache, but surprisingly, nothing else.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Where am I?" Icysong moaned. She looked at her surroundings. It looked like something she'd seen in her dreams with StarClan. Then sudden realization hit her.

"Am I dead?!"

No cats replied, however. In the distance, she saw what seemed like all of StarClan's cats gathered around a pool of water - from what she knew, the Starpool. She crept up close and listened.

"How can they lose their beliefs just like that?" one of the cats meowed angrily.

"I can't let the Clans make the same mistake I did," Mothwing murmured to herself.

"Can anyone see a chance of the Clans regaining faith?" Bluestar asked the others.

Many of the StarClan cats had ideas, but none of them seemed to be able to work. In the end, no one said anything.

After a long moment of silence, Feathertail spoke up.

"We all know it seems like all the cats have lost faith, but there has to be at least _one _cat from each Clan who believes in the old ways. There must be more than that, but because of how most of the cats scorn and tease the believers, they won't speak up for their beliefs. But there _has _to be a cat from each Clan who is not afraid to stick up for their beliefs, and we have to find those cats. They can spread the message and convince the others to regain the traditions."

"Well said." Riverstar smiled at Feathertail.

"Well now, we have to find these four cats. Anyone see a true leader in the Clans?" Windstar asked.

Many of the cats stepped up to the Starpool to look. They spoke of leaders, former medicine cats, warriors, apprentices, even kits and elders. Finally they chose the four.

"Icysong of ThunderClan is not a medicine cat anymore, but she still believes strongly in us. She is clearly the right choice." Whitestorm told the others.

"Dapplestar of WindClan may be young, but she has already proved to be one of the best leaders in Clan history, and she too has not abandoned the old ways. She should definitely be one of the four." Tallstar decided.

"ShadowClan also has a very promising member. Honeyblaze is a bit rebellious, but will always do the right thing in the end, no matter what. I choose her to represent her Clan." Shadowstar stated confidently.

"But that leaves RiverClan without a cat to stand up for StarClan." Cloudtail pointed out.

Silverstream looked up from the Starpool.

"I've thought about this for a long time already. Hawkeyes of RiverClan may not be as..." she paused, to think of the right word, "erm... mature as the others, but I believe he has what it takes."

Some of the others didn't agree about this, but the arguments were soon settled.

"Then it is agreed. The four will be Icysong of ThunderClan, Dapplestar of WindClan, Hawkeyes of RiverClan, and Honeyblaze of ShadowClan." Firestar announced.

Just then, a moaning she-cat appeared amongst the many cats.

"Where am I?" she asked weakly.

The confidence that had been in the air just seconds ago disappeared at the sight of another warrior dying young and appearing among the others of StarClan.

"Not another one. They're going too fast. I just hope that we made the right choice and that these four can rebuild the Clans before there aren't any Clans to rebuild anymore."

Icysong gasped. The cats were talking about her, and three other cats. Suddenly, Firestar turned around and looked at her.

"Welcome, Icysong. I thank you for carrying out my message, even if my Clan did not believe you. You are not dead, but Cloudstar thinks you are. We had to keep you here so that your living body could heal and you would be safe for the time. And four moons have passed since you were last in the living world. Four moons... of catastrophe and disaster." His voice was heavy with sorrow.

A cat she thought was Bluestar looked at her. "Firestar has told me much about you, and I have seen for myself. You truly are an amazing cat."

Icysong blushed slightly with the praise. "Thanks," she mewed quietly, suddenly feeling like a kit in front of the two great ThunderClan leaders.

Then Bluestar's face turned dark. "Yes, four moons of catastrophe and disaster. Cloudblaze - we here refuse to call him Cloudstar, as he is no StarClan-chosen leader - has gained all the agreement of the Clan, despite many protests. And his ideas have spread to the other Clans... when you return to the living, you will see. The Clans are in total chaos."

Silverstream nodded. "There are few, too few, who still believe in us and the warrior code. We have chosen four cats to reteach our ways. You are one of the four.

"There is also Dapplestar of WindClan, Hawkeyes of RiverClan, and Honeyblaze of ShadowClan. We have sent them a sign, and believe they will understand. Meet them on the Gathering island the next full moon."

The cats began to fade into the distance. 'I'm going back to ThunderClan...' she murmured, as she began to lose consciousness and her vision began to blur...

Chapter 3

Icysong's entire body felt sore as she began to regain consciousness. As her vision began to clear, she looked at her surroundings. She had a huge headache, but surprisingly, nothing else.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Icysong's entire body felt sore as she began to regain consciousness. As her vision began to clear, she looked at her surroundings. She had a huge headache, but surprisingly, nothing else.


End file.
